Discover the Amazing Skin Benefits of Ginseng

By: Dr. Wang Skincare Education Team

May 26, 2016

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Ginseng is a popular herbal supplement, widely used in Asia to treat various health ailments and for general wellbeing. It can improve energy levels and boost memory. Because of those health benefits, ginseng is found and marketed in a wide range of consumable healthcare products including supplements, teas, candies, and energy drinks in various concentrations and forms.

Different types of ginseng:

There are many species of ginseng but two, in particular, Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius, are considered to provide the most health benefits. Panax ginseng is generally found in northern China, Korea, and Russia. Panax quinquefolius, on the other hand, typically grows in various regions within North America.

Panax ginseng is referred to as Asian ginseng or, occasionally, Korean or red ginseng. This type of ginseng has the highest percentage of overall ginsenosides, the compounds in ginseng that are believed to contribute to its medicinal and health properties. Ginsenosides have been shown to have multiple medical effects such as antioxidative, anti-aging and anti-cancer properties. It is widely believed that Asian ginseng is more powerful and reliable in providing the desired health outcomes. Most medical and scientific research is conducted on the Asain ginseng.

Skin health benefits of ginseng:

The majority of studies looking at the health benefits of ginseng is focused on its positive improvement in mental function, sports performance, and general wellbeing, but there are some novel studies looking at possible dermatological applications, including melisma and atopic dermatitis

Melasma is a common skin condition that affects women. Clinically, melasma presents as patches of dark pigmentation around the cheeks, lower eyelids and nose regions. It is worsened by UV light, hormones, and even heat. One study showed that people taking Korean red ginseng powder for a period of 24-weeks had significant improvement in the level of dark pigmentation and redness.

Additional studies looked at the effect of ginsenosides on the production of melanin or pigmentation in the skin. It is thought that ginsenosides were effective in shutting down the pigment-producing mechanism in the skin cells.

Aside from melasma, multiple studies have looked at whether or not Korean red ginseng may be helpful to treat atopic dermatitis or eczema. One study looked at thirty eczema patients who ingested Korean red ginseng. Their serum Ig E levels and severity scoring of atopic dermatitis (SCORAO) index were assessed. It was found that transepidermal water loss and skin hydration showed significant improvement after 16 weeks in the patients ingesting ginseng. In addition, there was a significant decrease in the SCORAD index as well as in serum lgE levels after 16 weeks.

Another study looked at whether or not Ginseng had the ability to influence scratching behavior in atopic dermatitis (eczema) animal model. Red ginseng was found to significantly inhibit scratching behavior in the animal model. The exact mechanism is unknown but it is believed that ginseng attenuated both nerve growth factor expression as well as nerve fiber extension in this model.

Lastly, another study showed that Korean red ginseng has an immunosuppressive response on skin cells, possibly through reduction of TNF-alpha and IL-8 expression on human keratinocytes.

Final Thoughts:

Ginseng has a wide range of health benefits. As the scientific and medical community continue to research on this perennial herb, it will be certain that ginseng will be used for helping to relieve symptoms of many health conditions, including eczema.